Skip to content

erfinderisch

inventive, creative

adjective er-FIN-de-rish Rare

Also means

resourceful, ingenious

Usage Note

Erfinderisch comes from erfinden (to invent) and describes a talent for coming up with novel solutions, not just technical inventions. The phrase Not macht erfinderisch ('necessity is the mother of invention') is a common German proverb featuring this word.

Examples

"Kinder sind beim Spielen besonders erfinderisch."

Natural Translation

Children are particularly inventive when playing.

Literal Translation

Children are in playing particularly inventive.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic